SBRSD School Safety Update

A message from Southern Berkshire Regional School District (WSBS received this message on Sunday evening)

Dear SBRSD Families -

I hope this finds you enjoying the last part of your weekend before we head back into another busy week of school!

As always, the safety of students is our foremost concern, and we have many policies and procedures in place to maintain a safe environment for all students. We are also dedicated to maintaining a strong partnership with parents/guardians in our effort to provide the very best education for students, and believe that a key to that partnership is communication.

I wanted to thank you all for your support on Friday during the safety incident and subsequent evacuation. I was very proud of our students who listened closely to our directions, and the professionalism displayed by our staff. In times where we must act quickly to a situation, the safety of our students and staff must take precedence. We will continue to strive to provide timely updates to our school community to the best of our ability.

As I mentioned Friday evening, I would provide any updates available to me pending the police department’s investigation. This evening Chief Munson reported that the Sheffield Police and the Massachusetts State Police have been working all weekend on the investigation which is still on-going, and they will continue to pursue all leads on this case. Because this is a police matter, I am not able to provide more specifics on this case.

I would like to reiterate that the Sheffield Police Department and emergency responders have confirmed that the campus is safe, no device was found, and this incident has been deemed a “hoax” meant to disrupt school operations.

SBRSD takes these matters very seriously, especially those involving the health, safety and welfare of our students and staff. As a District, we are steadfast in our commitment to provide a safe and secure learning environment for all.

As part of our protocol and in response to the after incident debriefing session, a plan to address Friday's incident with our students upon their return to school tomorrow morning was developed. The goal will be to provide our students with assurance that they are safe at school in a way that is age appropriate. The Elementary staff will take a few minutes tomorrow morning in their classrooms to tell their students they are safe, and to express praise for their behavior during Friday's evacuation. The Secondary is planning to hold a community gathering with staff and students to discuss this issue and school safety as well. For students who need extra supports or are continuing to exhibit stress about the incident, please know they will have access to counselors or administrators as needed.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call your child's school or my office. Thank you for entrusting us with your children each and every day.
Respectfully,